The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for automatic handling, transporting and storing bulky and heavy commodities, such a reels of elongated metallic stock, convoluted webs of paper, metallic or plastic foil, textile material or the like, some of which are described in "PLASTICS FILM TECHNOLOGY" by W. R. R. Park (1969), Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for transporting, temporarily storing, orienting and/or otherwise manipulating bulky and extremely heavy commodities which are being treated in one or more production lines. For example, the method and apparatus can be resorted to in connection with the manipulation of commodities having a weight in excess of 5,000 kilograms.
Extremely heavy commodities, e.g., in the form of reels for wound metallic rod, sheet or strip stock, are manipulated in a variety of plants, such as in rolling mills. As a rule, the stock must be unwound from a reel, transported through successive stations of one or more complete production lines, and again collected on the core of a reel for transport to storage or for shipment to customers. Similar problems arise in certain printing plants wherein extremely long webs of paper or textile material are imprinted, impregnated and/or otherwise treated; in manufacturing and processing plants for metallic or plastic foils; in finishing rolling mills for sheet metal; and many other establishments. It is often necessary to repeatedly unwind and collect extremely long webs, strips or rods of metallic or other material which is stored on reels or spools, an operation which can be carried out only by resorting to extremely complex, large, heavy and expensive equipment. Since the paying out and collecting of webs, strips or rods is a time-consuming operation, the manufacturers strive to use extremely long stock to thus reduce the intervals of idleness of machines which form the production line. It is not unusual to collect metallic sheet or rod stock in the form of rolls weighing well in excess of 10,000 kilograms. Similar problems arise when a production line is set up for the treatment of bulky blocks of metallic material which must be turned, lifted, lowered, inverted, tilted and/or otherwise manipulated at each of a series of treating stations. It is already known to treat such heavy and bulky commodities in accordance with a predetermined schedule.
In certain plants, such as in factories employing recent types of rolling mills, heavy and bulky commodities are transported by overhead cranes and by floor-type lift trucks which are not confined to travel along tracks. The storing of commodities in the interior of the plant takes place at certain predetermined locations, or the commodities are stored in sheds which are located outside of the plant proper. The storing in the interior of the plant and/or the transport within the plant presents many problems due to excessive stressing of the floor; therefore, such storing and/or transport is permissible only if the building is properly designed so that it can stand extremely high stresses. Moreover, the storing of a large number of bulky commodities in the interior of a factory contributes excessively to the dimensions of the building or results in clogging of the area in the vicinity of machines so that the components of the production lines are not readily accessible for inspection and/or repair. This problem is particularly acute when the commodities must be treated in a large number of machines each of which occupies a substantial amount of floor space and/or extends to a level well above the floor. Attempts to solve the just discussed problems include the utilization of complex conveyances which can transport bulky commodities in any one of several directions or simultaneously in several directions. This reduces somewhat the likelihood of congestion but delays considerably the transfer of commodities from station to station.
In certain other plants, bulky and extremely heavy commodities are transported by simple roller conveyors which are designed to advance the commodities along straight paths. Such conveyors take up space and are satisfactory only when the orientation of commodities need not be changed at all or when the commodities must be reoriented at a single station or at a small number of stations. In all other instances, the plant must be provided with complex turning, lifting, tilting, inverting, shifting and/or other reorienting equipment which is extremely costly and occupies a substantial amount of floor space. Moreover, certain commodities are so sensitive that they cannot or should not be repeatedly gripped by the jaws or analogous parts of tilting, lifting and/or other reorienting or displacing instrumentalities.
The just discussed problems in connection with the manipulation of commodities whose weight is in excess of one, five or ten thousand kilograms are aggravated due to the fact that the equipment which is presently used for such manipulation must be sufficiently safe and must be capable of handling bulky commodities without any danger of damage to parts of the equipment and/or to the processed material. This, too, contributes to the initial and maintenance cost of such equipment, to its bulkiness and complexity, to its sensitivity, as well as to the cost of the final product. There exists an urgent need for a method and apparatus which can be resorted to for economical handling of extremely heavy and bulky workpieces, which can be installed in existing plants, which renders it possible to avoid damage to the buildings, to the apparatus, to the production line and/or to the workpieces, and which also permits automatic remote control of transport and handling to allow fully automatic production processes.